Hiding

Zeng sat inside the cave stirring the pot of noodles that Mr. Ping had prepared. Mr. Ping, on the other hand, stood outside the cave waiting for Po to come. He watched and waited for a sign from the blinding snow. Suddenly, there was a silhouette of a person from the snow. Mr. Ping instantly started in panic fearing the worst had happened to Po, but then there were two shadows close together. As they came closer into view, Mr. Ping could see Tai-Lung and Po with Po's arm around Tai-Lung's shoulders. Both of them were smiling, and Mr. Ping noticed that Tai-Lung didn't seem as menacing as people said he was. He actually look rather kind. Mr. Ping ran back into the cave and shouted, "They're here! They're here!" Zeng dropped the ladle that he was stirring the pot with and dashed outside. There he saw right in front of him was the infamous Tai-Lung. Tai-Lung smiled down at the duck.

"It's good to see you again," Tai-Lung said. Like Mr. Ping, Zeng noted that Tai-Lung was different and more open. Cautiously, Zeng greeted him. All of them sat down at the pot and ate Mr. Ping's Secret Ingredient Noodle Soup. Or as Po likes to call it for fun, Mr. Ping's SINS for short. Tai-Lung was amazed at how good the soup was. He had been on the run for about two years and had almost nothing to eat but a few scrapes here and there. This by far was the best thing he ever tasted. "This is amazingly good!" Po smiled.

"You're just like everyone else when they first have my father's noodle soup," said Po chuckling. Tai-Lung chuckled a bit too before turning serious.

"So now what do we do?" He asked.

"We go back to the village, tell the people and the masters of the Jade Palace that you've completely changed, and live happily ever after," Zeng replied. Everyone looked at him a little annoyed. "Hey, thought I'd lighten the mood. But seriously, we do need to come up with a plan for Tai-Lung. He needs to build a reputation with the people for them to accept him."

"We don't need them to accept him. We just need to hide him," Po explained. Tai-Lung looked at Po confused.

"Hide me?" he asked.

"We can't let the whole world know that you're alive. That and, no offense, other people, including me, have to trust you." Po said honestly. Tai-Lung looked at the floor sadly.

"I can't blame you. I wouldn't trust myself either. So why bother try and help me?" he asked. Po told him all about Oogway and the other high ones. Tai-Lung was amazed. "And here I thought Oogway saw no good in me."

"It's not that you weren't destined to do great things; just not destined to be Dragon Warrior. But the question still remains about what we do about you," Po replied. There was silence. Then Mr. Ping spoke up.

"We have to send him away under a new identity or where his name isn't known. How about this, then?" Mr. Ping suggested, "I just so happened to bring the Midnight Stranger suit that Po had. You can use that to help people around town in the night." Po looked at him questionably.

"Why did you have that stuff?" he asked.

"I thought I would sell it if we got near a village," Mr. Ping explained. Tai-Lung nodded.

"That would be good. Then I'll you a progress report once every week to help you keep track of me. But that means we will have to become separated," Tai-Lung said. Po stared sadly at the ground.

"Then you have to go. I'll send Zeng to pick them up. Are you okay with that?" the duck nodded nobly, "Then let's go." As Mr. Ping and Zeng started to pack, Tai-Lung pulled Po to the side.

"Po, thank you for giving me another chance. And after hearing your story, you, more than anyone, deserves to be Dragon Warrior. Let no one tell you different. You said you never had sisters or brothers to call your own," Tai-Lung said as he put a hand on Po's shoulder, "Let me be your first big brother." Po smiled widely and hugged Tai-Lung tight. Tai-Lung slowly hugged back a little surprised.

"Thank you. Try your best to change your character, stay safe, and don't get into any trouble," Po said. Tai-Lung laughed.

"Yes, mother. I'll be okay," He said. Po and Tai-Lung waved to each other one last time before both of them went their separate ways. On the way back to the Valley of Peace, Po told Mr. Ping and Zeng not to say a word to the others. Mr. Ping said.

"Po, I would never deliberately put my other son in jail." Po looked at him with a smile.

"Yeah, I can't let my brother get in trouble. That's mutiny," Zeng said smirking. Po smiled even wider as they went quietly to the village.

So after they returned to the village, Po decided not to make a big deal of his trip. When Shifu asked how his trip was, he answered, "Nothing unusual. Just did some things." They didn't inquire of him anything else. He knew they wouldn't.

After a couple of weeks, Po's, Zeng's, and Mr. Ping's secret communication to Tai-Lung was down pact. Zeng told Shifu that at the end of each week, he had to go to his friend's house. Shifu agreed, and this opened up the secret brother message system. It would take Zeng one full day to complete round trip to get to Tai-Lung's village. It actually took 14 hours, but Zeng would take the time there to just relax, eat, and rest with Tai-Lung. On the way back, Zeng would give Mr. Ping the message. Mr. Ping would then keep the message tight with him. When Po came down to help his dad, he would give Po the message and after Po would read it, he would put it in a red chest underneath his bed at his dad's shop.

In the letters and from what Zeng told Po, Tai-Lung was working on changing. It was hard work, but he didn't mind. Zeng noted that Tai-Lung started to become more and more like Po, eating more and being more in character. Po smiled each time he learned more about his brother. He hardly got to see much of Tai-Lung until festivals. Each festival, except the ones where Po needed to be there because he was the Dragon Warrior, Po and his dad would pack up and head to Tai-Lung to spend some time with each other. Thanks to the village's numerous festivals, Po got to see more of Tai-Lung.

Tai-Lung loved his current situation. He liked helping the people in anyway he could. He stayed in a secret cave at daytime and came out as the Midnight Stranger at nighttime. He could see why Po loved helping people. But his longtime wish was to come back home. Po knew this, but he couldn't trust that Shifu and the entire village would understand. So for now, things needed to be kept secret. Easy, right?